Thwarted

Warning - this is a blog post that would be better if I had supporting photographs. I actually do have the photographs, but if I wait for the time when I can post them, this blog post will never happen.

So, imagine if you will...

I have been spinning lately. Not a lot, but enough to remind me how much I enjoy spinning and how much I miss it.

I did a lot of spinning when I first started, about 12 years ago. I was working a more than full time job, but didn't have kids and indulged myself. I got a nice wheel, picked up a used Pat Green drumcarder, and had fun at the Monterey Fleece auction several years running.

Then I quit my job and went back to school. Then I had a kid. Then I had another kid. Then all of a sudden I realized I hadn't touched the spinning wheel for a long time! (Then more time passed...)

Lately I've been focused on using supplies I already have on hand, trying to use things up and whenever possible not replace them (I'm talking cleaning supplies, soap, pantry, yarn, everything). I've felt weighted down by the stuff that fills every nook and cranny of my 1000 sq ft house, and I'm trying to lighten the load. To that end I've been going through drawers, shelves, bins, etc. taking stock of what I have. (Not in any systematic kind of way, just randomly, but still it's a start).

Plus I've had a few things lately that I couldn't find, so I've been looking through all sorts of things. And I have found all sorts of thing. Fleeces that were brought home in 1997, washed, sorted, and still sitting there. All sorts of yarn, spinning fiber, etc.

All of this has inspired me to want to get out the carder and get cracking through some of the fleece. Easier said than done.

For several days I looked for the manual and instructions. This shouldn't have been necessary, except when last I used it I had set it up with the motor, and with two children in the house I wanted to switch it back to manual crank in the hopes that would decrease the chance of injury.

Finally it occurred to me to look for paperwork in the file cabinet. (No mean feat - I had to move four bikes to open the 'long term storage' file cabinet).

Then I had to wait two days for a window of time to get out the carder. Finally this morning I had time. I followed the instructions and reattached the crank, wiped the surfaces clean, oiled the necessary spots, attached the drive band and was ready to go. I thought the carding cloth might be dusty so I pulled out some random waste fleece and carded on a light batt. Things were going well - the kids were busy in the other room, I pretty much remembered what I was doing, the carder looked in good shape, everything was fine. I decided to switch the position of the crank to make it easier to doff the batt. As I was calmly undoing the screw, excited about getting to actually card some wool today, I hear a slight "plunk" and look up to see half of the drive band lazily uncurl from the gears and flop to the table.

Damn drive band failed at the join, making the carder completely inoperable. I don't blame the manufacturer - it's been sitting on a shelf for years (although I was smart enough to remove the drive band from the carder!) and I'm sure whatever they use to join the band gets brittle over time.

It's not a tragedy, I've got plenty of other things to do with my time, but it was disappointing. I'll call Pat Green tomorrow and see if I can glue it back together or if I need to get a new band (if so, I'll probably get a new band for the motor at the same time!) Hopefully by next weekend I'll be up and running, at which point it will probably be another month before I find the time to do it!